First appeared in the July 2024 issue of Texoma Farm and Home magazine. By Mary Jane Farmer
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou
The sounds of vigorous hand clapping and yahoos brought the Split Window (Recording) Studio to full life, from the moment Dustin Perkins belted out his first song until he completed his Sunday afternoon concert.
Dustin is working on his latest album now, utilizing the mystical magic that combines his music and his band’s input with that of (Denison’s) Split Window producers.
Music is not Dustin Perkins’ only artistic talent. The Okie excels in creating works of art that grace people’s homes or businesses. Walls, doors, kitchen or office cabinet doors, anything and everything defining unique wood art.
Yeppers, the man is artistic in the truest sense of the word — there’s no doubt.
Music
“The more I sing, the more I pay attention to the words I put into my songs,” the Texan-turned-Okie explained. His songs almost always have a positive spin on them. For instance “Luckiest Man Alive” — “There’s a hole in my pocket, about to run out…The phone keeps a ringin’ every time it gets quiet around here,” etc. But Perkins is quite certain he’s the “luckiest man alive.”
Perkins’ dedication to his music let him hit the road on his “Bag of Bones” tour, about a decade ago. He set out without any firm gigs scheduled. Instead, when he’d hit a town that looked promising, he’d manage to get that guitar out and make new fans with his style and songs. The tour lasted quite a few weeks, and ended with a scheduled show at the now-shuttered Hank’s Texas Grill. His fans packed the house, so delighted Dustin was back within listening distance.
One has to wonder if one of Perkins’ newer songs, “Doing My Best to Get Back Home,” stemmed from that Bag of Bones Tour.
The artist took about a 10-year break from singing and songwriting and performing. What did he do during those 10 years? Well, he said, “I didn’t understand life’s up and downs. Getting out of music wasn’t my choice. The first couple of years I was really bitter and did not understand my life.
“Then, I spent the better part of the 3rd year getting in touch with God. I didn’t understand why I wasn’t hearing from Him. Then I realized I had to change my perspective, that was all I really needed. I started realizing how blessed I was.
“I couldn’t change situations, but, through self-reflection and self-improvement, I could change the way I look and feel. You don’t got nothin’ if you don’t have love. I had love and had walked away from it. My band mates, my family, God’s love… not romantic love… just appreciation for it all,” the father of two explained.
Perkins got into the music business when he was 15 years old, and that was 22 years ago. During that time, he’s released four albums; and he’s released the first song off this 5th project, a song appropriately called “Long Time Comin’”
The full album is due out sometime in August and will be available on all platforms.
Dustin said he’s got absolutely zero, zip, nada, zilch plans to hire a radio promoter for it in hopes of having a chart-maker. “I’ll send the songs out, old-school, and if there’s any interest, the DJs will play it. The game has changed so much — it’s more about getting on the Spotify charts. But, the response so far has been super good.
“I am a different human than I was 10 years ago. Different perspective, more financially stable, more patient. It seems to be working. Every radio station has eat us up.”
One thing hasn’t changed. In the past, Dustin was known for almost always having new merchandise to offer fans at his gigs. That hasn’t and isn’t changing. When he and the band (all long-time musican/friends) recently played at Texas Music Revolution, he had Dustin Perkins sunglasses, along with a unique and hand-crafted tobacco pipeline made from wood scraps. “And the moneys go back into the business,” he said.
Wood business
Perkins has worked at ‘real’ jobs during these decades, and has an unmatchable work ethic. During his 10-year hiatus, he worked in construction. And some of that time was with land developer Dan Barney. “He was pushing over 200-year-old trees and putting them in brush piles, making the land ready for future development,” Perkins explained. “I said ‘Why don’t you buy a sawmill?’” Dan said he’d buy the saw mill and teach Dustin how to best use it, and he’d make sure that the trees were made available to him. “I told him I’d love to have something like this someday. A couple of years later, he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. He had already given me an appreciation and skills to make custom doors, counter tops and such, and how to run all the equipment. Then, he turned this business over to me.
“It’s been a blessing beyond measure. I never dreamed I’d have this business.”
Perkins said he’s still learning, and calls Dan once a day to talk over the process. “He has saved me so many miles.”
The wood business is called “Perkins One Creek Millworks” and is located in Snow, Oklahoma, about 18 miles north of Perkins’ Antlers home.
So, when asked if this work is another expression of Perkins’ artistry, he answered without hesitation, “Very much so. A lot of stuff I build is out of the lumber made from those 200-year-old trees. I told Dan the other day that I feel so blessed because there is never a day that I hate getting out of bed.
“I am blessed, surrounded with the people who love me. I couldn’t dream up a better life than what I have going on right now.
“ I’m so grateful for all the support from all my fans, I couldn’t do without. It’s amazing to see so many faces in the crowd. Anybody and everybody I have met and love. A big thank you to all the fans customers.”
Dustin is closing out July in style. He will be playing from 6:30-8:30 pm Monday (July 29) at El Patio Escondido, 495 W Van Alstyne Parkway, in Van Alstyne. And on July. 27, he’ll be in Kingston at the Alberta Creek Resort & Marina, 9040 Clear Lake Drive.
Then comes Sunday, July 28, when he’s again headlining Bells on Broadway, at 205 S Broadway. That runs from 4-8 p.m. and is a benefit for a Bells family.